US Secretary Of State Flays Israel's Aid Provision In Gaza As 'Woefully Insufficient, Unacceptable'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has described Israel's measures to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip as "woefully insufficient and unacceptable," stressing immediate humanitarian assistance for people in the besieged enclave.

"Despite important steps that Israel has taken to allow assistance into Gaza, the results on the ground are woefully insufficient and unacceptable," Blinken said during a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday.

A 100% of the population in Gaza knows acute levels of food insecurity, he said, adding that 100% of the population needs humanitarian assistance.

He emphasized Israel's "moral, strategic, and legal" responsibilities to protect civilians and provide humanitarian aid to those in need.

Regarding Israel's devastating attack on the World Central Kitchen convey on Monday, which killed seven aid workers, he said it is not the first time such an incident has occurred and must never happen again.

"First of all, on that – nothing changed. When I saw the news of the strike, I was outraged. And I strongly condemn it. When I spoke to it the other day, others of my colleagues had been out, I was focused on the – the people, the individuals who had lost their lives, given their lives in service of their fellow human beings," Blinken said.

He reiterated US President Joe Biden's condemnation of the attack on humanitarian workers, stressing Israel to take urgent action to mitigate civilian harm and ensure aid worker safety.

Biden emphasized the critical need for an "immediate cease-fire" to stabilize the humanitarian situation and protect civilians, he added.

According to him, the US president also urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to expedite negotiations for the release of hostages.

"Right now, there is no higher priority in Gaza than protecting civilians, surging humanitarian assistance, and ensuring the security of those who provide it. Israel must meet this moment," he said.

Israel forces carried out strikes Monday on a humanitarian convoy in central Gaza that killed seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen in what the group's founder called a "direct attack on clearly marked vehicles whose movements were known by Israel."

The aid workers were nationals of Australia, Poland, the UK and Palestine as well as a US-Canada dual citizen.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive across Gaza in retaliation for the attack, which killed less than 1,200 people and led to roughly 250 hostages being taken back to Gaza as captives. Roughly 130 are still being held.

Nearly 33,000 Palestinians have since been killed and 75,577 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which last week asked it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza. -